We Are...One - Wednesday

Hi, welcome to Redeem the Commute. I’m Ryan, your host for the Daily Challenges. Yesterday we read the Chrsitian teaching about divisions and labels. An early Christian leader named Paul wrote that

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:27-29 ESV)

We looked at those divisions in context yesterday, and I asked you to think about what divsiions exist today. Either way, what matters for Christians is that those who follow Jesus are all one in Christ Jesus, described as Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise, regardless of those things that normally divide humans one from another.

God’s promise to Abraham was that he would bless the world through him and his offspring. They aren’t barriers to followers of Jesus having fellowship with one another. We recognize each other as equals, family members and co-heirs.

I recently visited Boston, on the same weekend the Toronto Blue Jays were playing the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. As we travelled around the city, we’d keep seeing jhose familiar blue jerseys and hats. Just by looking, we otherwise had no way of knowing they were fellow Canadians, sicne they were all unique and diverse people. But they were all passionate followers of the Blue Jays, and that bound us together. As a Canadidan in Boston, that one identity superseded all the others.

In the same way, Christians are supposed to look beyond all the various identities and labels we carry in life, and recognize we are all created by a loving God, and that he sent his son to die for us. We recognize other followers of Jesus when we see others practicing life in God’s kingdom, and demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit. Our identity as followers of Jesus is meant to be a powerful witness, and an identity that supersedes all the others.

Question: When have you recognized a new acquaintance to be a Christian? What tipped you off? What about your life would tip off others?